Dispensing receptacle



Jan. 9, 1934. E. GQDFREY, JR

DISPENSING RECEPTACLE Filed Sept. 24. 1952 Patented Jan. 9, 1934 UNITED STATES DISPENSING RECEPTACLE Elmore M. Godfrey,

J r., Knoxville, Tenn.

Application September 24, 1932 Serial No. 634,768

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a can to be used in the transfer of a fluid such as gasoline from a truck to a tank which is usually buried in the ground.

Gasoline is usually delivered to filling stations by means of trucks, and it must be transferred from the truck to the large tank which forms the receptacle therefor at the filling station. Heretofore, cans usually of five gallon capacity, have been used in the transfer of the gasoline; the cans have been filled from the truck and are then turned over and the contents poured into the tank, usually through a funnel. This results in splashing the gasoline which is not only wasteful, but is actually dangerous due to the possibility that the gasoline vapor may become ignited. Furthermore, it necessitates further labor on the part of the delivery men in lifting the cans of gasoline and pouring the contents into the tank.

In some instances, the gasoline has been transferred from the truck to the tank through a hose attached to the spigot of the truck and connected with the tank, but that is unsatisfactory because measuring gauges applied to the tank are unsatisfactory and inaccurate and the buyer of the gasoline is not assured that he is getting the full quantity.

My present invention utilizes a measuring receptacle which is constructed to hang on the spigot of the truck to be filled with gasoline therefrom, but instead of having the gasoline poured therefrom into the tank through a funnel, I provide a hose connection with the bottom of the can which may extend to the tank and communication through which is controlled by a valve located in the bottom of the can but controlled by a lever at the upper edge thereof. The movement of the valve is guided so as to assure positive seating thereof. The valve is both opened and closed by manual movement of the lever and the latter is so shaped as to clear the spigot on the truck in hanging the can thereon or removing it.

In the accompanying drawing,

Fig. 1 is an elevation showing the application of my improved can to the spigot of a truck;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the can, and;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view therethrough on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

A portion of a conventional form of gasoline delivery truck or wagon is shown in Fig. 1 and is designated A, having the usual spigot A1 connected therewith to communicate with a container on the truck. A valve is provided in the spigot and is controlled by a valve lever A2.

My improved can is designated B and is provided with a bail Bl, which is adapted to hook onto a seat A3 provided in the spigot A1, in order to support the can from the latter.

The can B is provided with a reduced neck B2 I ing for the drainage nozzle which extends through a side thereof. 7

Carried by the bottom B3, preferably at the center thereof, is a valve seat C having a nozzle Cl connected therewith and extending through the side of the skirt B4. The end of this nozzle C1 may be threaded as at C2 and a flexible hose C3 is removably attached thereto. The threads may serve as a means of removably attaching the hose and if desired, a clamp C4 may be used to securely fasten the hose to the end of the nozzle 01.

A valve D is provided to engage the valve seat C to control the flow of gasoline or other fluid from the can B. A valve stem D1 carries the valve D andis slidably mounted through a guide D2 which extends upwardly from the bottom D3 and has an opening therein a substantial distance above the bottom for receiving and guiding the valve stem. The upper end of the valve stem D1 is pivotally connected as at D3 to a horizontal portion D4 of a valve operating lever and which portion is located in the neck B2 a substantial distance below the upper edge thereof. One end of the horizontal portion D4 is pivoted as at D5 to a bracket D6 secured in the neck B2, pivotally supporting the valve operating lever.

On the opposite side of the neck B2 from the bracket D6, the valve operating lever has an up-turned portion D7 which extends upwardly to the upper edge of the neck B2 and is then turned horizontally over the edge of the neck and extends outwardly therefrom as indicated at D8, extending horizontally sufiiciently farto reach out belowthe projection on the truck which extends over the spigots. At the same time, it is sufiiciently low so as to enable it to be tilted upward for unseating the valve D. The portion D4 within the can is set low enough and horizontally, so as to clear the spigot while at the same time allowing the valve to be lifted for the discharge of the contents of the can.

The side of the can B may be provided with a vertical depression B5 within which is received a glass gauge tube connected at its upper and lower ends with the interior of the can at the bottom and at the neck, so as to show the height of the gasoline when the can is full and to show that the can is empty when all of the gasoline has been discharged at the valve. The channel or groove in the side of the can is sufficiently deep so as to protect the gauge tube against breakage.

When using the can, the hose C3 is attached to the end of the nozzle Cl and is connected with the tank, while the can is hung on the hook A3 of 5 the spigot. The handle D8 is depressed to insure that the valve D is closed and then the handle A2 is moved to open the spigot to fill the can to the predetermined height for a designated quantity of gasoline or other liquid, after which the valve of the spigot is closed and the operator then lifts the handle D8 to unseat the valve D and allow the gasoline to flow out through the nozzle C1 of the hose C3, and into the tank. The buyer of the gasoline can see by observation that he is getting the quantity desired. After the can has been emptied, the valve D is manually closed and the operation repeated each time until a sufiicient quantity of gasoline has been drawn into the tank.

By having the valve D manually operated in both directions and dispensing with springs on the valve rods, the operator is relieved of strain in holding the valve open and by being required to manually close the valve, he is assured that the valve is entirely closed and that the contents sf the can are not leaking out through the valve. 'l,he purchaser can see that the valve remains q ntirely open until all of the gasoline in the can has been discharged into the tank while the operator is assured of closing the valve.

This invention is more accurate and safer and consumes less time than when using a can to be carried from the truck or wagon to the tank and at the same time it assures that the predetermined quantity of gasoline or fluid is being discharged into the tank.

I claim:

1. A measuring receptacle comprising side walls having an upper open end, a bottom therefor having a discharge opening, a valve arranged in position to control said opening, a valve stem connected with the valve and extending upwardly therefrom toward the upper open end, a horizontally arranged valve lever pivotally connected intermediate its ends with the upper end portion of the valve stem, and means pivotally connecting one end portion of said lever with a side of the receptacle, the other end portion of the lever extending horizontally over the opposite edge of the receptacle and being free therefrom to swing upward on said pivotal support to unseat the valve.

2. A measuring receptacle comprising side walls and a bottom having an open neck at the upper end, the bottom having a discharge opening therein, a nozzle connected with said opening and extending laterally through a side of the receptacle, a valve for controlling the opening, a valve stem connected with said valve, a lever extending approximately horizontally within the neck and pivotally connected intermediate its ends with the upper end portion of the valve stem, means pivotally supporting an end portion of the lever, and the opposite end portion thereof on the opposite side of the connection with the valve stem from the pivotal support extending horizontally over an edge of the neck forming an operating handle, said handle being arranged approximately in the vertical plane of the nozzle and i on the same side of the receptacle as the nozzle.

3. A measuring receptacle comprising side walls having an upper open end, a bottom therefor having a discharge opening, a valve arranged in position to control said opening, a valve stem connected with the valve and extending upwardly therefrom toward the upper open end, a horizontally arranged valve lever pivotally connected at an intermediate portion with the upper end portion of the valve stem, means pivotally connecting one end portion of said lever with a side of the receptacle, the other end portion of the lever extending horizontally over the opposite edge of the receptacle and being free therefrom to swing upward on said pivotal support to unseat the valve, a guide carried by the bottom and extending upwardly a substantial distance beside the valve stem and having an opening therethrough of a size to closely embrace the valve stem and form a guide therefor, the valve and valve stem being free of resilient connections and freely movable manually in either direction.

4. A measuring receptacle comprising a container having side Walls terminating at the top in an open neck, a bottom having a discharge opening, a valve controlling said discharge opening, a valve stem connected therewith and extending upwardly therefrom, an operating lever arranged approximately horizontally within the neck pivotally connected intermediate its ends with the upper end of the valve stem, means pivotally connecting an end portion of said lever with a side of the container, the opposite end portion of the lever on the opposite side of the connection with the valve stem from the connection with the side wall being turned upwardly and outwardly over an edge of the neck for manual operation of the valve.

5. A measuring receptacle comprising side walls having a bottom and a reduced open neck at the upper end thereof, the bottom having a discharge opening, a valve controlling said opening, a valve stem attached to the valve and extending upwardly therefrom, an operating lever having a horizontal portion extending transversely within the neck at a substantial distance below the upper edge thereof, means pivotally connecting said horizontal portion intermediate its ends with the upper end of the valve stem, and means pivotally connecting one end of said horizontal portion with a side of the neck, the opposite end of said horizontal portion having an upright portion extending upwardly within the neck to the upper edge thereof and terminating in an approximately horizontal handle portion which extends outwardly over the edge of the neck to form a handle for the lever.

6. A measuring receptacle comprising a container having side walls terminating at the top in an open neck, a bottom having a discharge opening, a valve controlling said discharge opening, a valve stem connected therewith and extending upwardly therefrom, an operating lever arranged approximately horizontally within the neck and having an intermediate portion pivotally connected with the upper end of the valve stem, means pivotally connecting an end portion of said lever with a side of the container, the opposite end portion of the lever being turned upwardly and outwardly over an edge of the neck for manual operation of the valve, the side walls having a vertical recess therein extending approximately throughout the height of the receptacle, and a gauge tube connected with the in- 

